We did not know it at the time, but Christmas 2022 was our last one together as a family. There was much excitement when hubby and I opened our gifts and found 'dummy' return flights to Amsterdam for mid-May, to celebrate my 70th birthday among the Tulips with our son and his gal in their newly adopted country.
Of course, the tickets still had to be booked, and we had to apply for our Schengen Visas.
We were super excited, and received our Schengen Visas, but had to postpone the trip twice due to hubby's health decline, and in the end, needing life-saving surgery.
Flights were rebooked for September, as we were confident that he would have recovered by then, but then the telephone call from the hospital threw my world upside-down; hubby was never coming home again.
Everyone encouraged me to still go on the trip, but I had never traveled abroad, and doing it on my own sounded daunting, to say the least.
I did not want to let the kiddos down, and I was going to be a brave old gal and fly off on my own at the ripe old age of 7...I meant 70!
I boarded the flight with mixed feelings; excited, but heartbroken that my darling man was not at my side; he was so looking forward to the trip!
That trip however turned out to be the best therapy I could have asked for.
The Best Advice...
If you're traveling solo and have a disability, or your hair has even just one strand of silver, prebook special/wheelchair assistance at least 48 hours before departure.
Our local King Shaka International Airport is small, but I was afraid of getting lost and missing my connecting flight at Dubai Airport.
I however did not have to worry about that at all!
We were whisked from one end of the airport in a long golf cart, taken into a lift, and then onto another golf cart to a special lounge right next to our boarding gates!
Walking, and going up and down escalators would easily have taken me over 20 minutes, and I for sure would have landed up as 'lost property';)
All those who booked special assistance were ushered through the gates reserved for VIP travelers, and boarded before the rest of the passengers, what a pleasure!
I was given aisle seats on all the flights, close to the loos.
The only downside is that I always choose a window seat when flying local, as I love looking out the window, and especially enjoy it when we're flying above the cottonwool clouds! I had to be satisfied with seeing it on the small TV in front of me!
I fortunately had nice 'neighbours' on all the flights, but could not sleep, watched a documentary, pecked away tears that came (still does) from nowhere at times, and dozed off in between meals and snack times, which seems to happen with hardly any breaks in between!
Schiphol Airport was less daunting, especially knowing the kids were just on the other side.
However, arranging special assistance is a must if you're a 'mature' solo traveler.
A friend however pointed to my mouth and told me not to forget to use it when I'm not sure of anything, and to look at the signage, which is everywhere.
I was especially impressed with the Dutch rail system; one simply cannot get lost, and their 9292 App makes planning one's trip an absolute breeze.
I went on a train ride all by myself, to meet a friend at Schiphol Train Station.
This very 'busy' old signage pole we saw in the town of Gouda however would not work at any airport or train station, I could not resist sharing this with you.
The Check List
A very caring friend drew up a looong checklist for me, which I refined, may just help someone traveling for the first time.
Edited using Canva
Had I chosen to talk about both topics for this week's Ladies of Hive Community Contest #175, you would have seen me talking a hind leg off a donkey, so I stuck to the one topic that to me was a personal triumph, as I managed to travel solo, and enjoyed it so much, that nothing is going to stop my new-found wanderlust to look past our borders, and across the waters!
My fear of flying solo has disappeared somewhere up into the clouds!
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Artwork by @artywink
